Winders



L. H. BEST WINDERS Dec. 1, 1959 Filed March 14, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet l Fig.1 5

Inventor Leon. '11: Best Dec. 1, 1959 H. BEST 2,914,954

WINDERS Filed March 14,, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 E I 1 t Inventor Leon flzbest 5 zl/wm and W q-l-iorn 256 L. H. BEST Dec. 1, 1959 WINDERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 14, 1957 Invetzfor' Leon 71'. .Best

United States Patent WINDERS Leon H. Best, Galva, 111., assignor to John H. Best & Sons, Inc., Galva, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application March 14, 1957, Serial No. 646,058

5 Claims. (Cl. 74-1 6) This invention relates to a power winder for winding spindles on which broadloom car'peting or like rolled material is to be wound.

Broadloom carpeting, linoleum and like rolled material to be displayed in show windows and sales rooms or stored in a storage area are usually in the form of relatively large rolls wound on individual spindles: or support tubes, and these spindles in turn are adapted to be arranged one above the other on a display rack. Such rolled material when shipped from the manufacturer to the dealer, may be wound on a temporary spindle or support, and in displaying the rolled material for sale on a rack it is transferred from the temporary spindle to the spindle of the display rack. It will be appreciated that carpeting to be displayed on a rack for storage or for sale in this manner is relatively heavy, and the diameters of the carpet rolls on the rack are quite large. As a matter of fact, the racks in some instances are as much as ten or more feet high requiring relatively rigid rack and spindle structure of heavy duty steel construction and relatively large bearings for supporting the ends of the rack tubes or spindles. These facts are stressed in order that it :can be readily realized that the efiort required to crank a rack spindle manually while winding a carpet thereon can be quite exhausting and time-consuming, and this is particularly so in those instances where a spindle ofthe rack is sufliciently above floor level as to require use of a step ladder or the like when cranking an uppermost spindle on the rack.

In view of the foregoing, the primary object of the present invention is to enable cranking of a spindle on a rug or carpet display rack or the like to be accomplished by a powered winder, to enable the winder to be adjusted and readily manipulated for winding spindles at different elevations on the rack, and to enable these desirable ends to be achieved with a minimum expenditure of time and labor.

More specifically, it is an object of the present inventionto construct a powered winder for rug or like spindles to include a key adapted to be drivingly associated with an end of such spindle, and wherein drive means are afforded for the key including an extensible drive shaft and a main power source. The drive shaft in turn is mounted in an elongated extensible tubular drive shaft housing, and the housing is pivotally supported on a portable carriage. One end of the tubular housing supports a base housing for the main drive means used to drive the drive shaft, and the end of the drive shaft to be driven extends from the tubular housing into such base housing. A motor is mounted on the base housing, and the output .or. drive element of this motor is coupled to the end of the drive shaft that is to be driven. The foregoing structure can be adjusted for turning spindles located at various elevations on a display rack of the foregoing kind, and adjustments can be readily accomplished.

: Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which,

by way of illustration, show a preferred embodiment of the present invention and the principle thereof and what I now consider to be the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principle may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a winder constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the winder;

Fig. 2A is a detail view;

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of the gearing for the winder key; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view illustrating utility features of the present invention.

The present invention is illustrated in Fig. 1 as embodied in a winder 20 which is adapted primarily in the present instance to turn any selected spindle S, Fig. 4, supported at opposed ends in bearing arms B of a display or storage rack R for carpeting or the like. Such racks are used in sales rooms, display windows and the like, and moreover are often utilized in storage areas of large merchandising establishments. The particular rack R shown in Fig. 4 embodies six spindles as will be observed, three on either side of the rack. This is illustrative of a typical commercial arrangement, but it should be pointed out that racks of this general kind may embody as many as seven or eight tiers of spindles such that the uppermost spindles are well above head level under such circumstances. Moreover, what is usually displayed are conventional nine, twelve and fifteen foot carpet widths, and the rolled diameter of the carpeting is often as much as two or more feet requiring considerable effort during transfer of the carpeting received from the manufacturer or distributor on to the spindle of the rack. Thus, as will be observed in Fig. 4 the ends of the spindles are provided with squared apertures A in which a crank or key can be inserted to effect such transfer operations, and the present invention enables such cranking to be performed with a powered crank or key in contrast to a manual operation. Particularly for large width carpeting, it is advantageous to accomplish transfer of the carpeting from a dolly D as shown in Fig. 4.

The winder 20 of the present invention includes an elongated extensible tubular housing 25, Fig. 1, to be described in more detail hereinafter, and an extensible drive shaft 26, Fig. 2, is arranged coaxially therein to drive a squared key 27, Fig. 1, at the upper end of the housing 25. It will be appreciated that the key 27 as illustrated herein is complemental to the aforementioned squared aperture A in the spindle S, Fig. 4, but the particular complemental interengaging relation between such a key and spindle may of course take different forms.

The elongated housing 25 is mounted pivotally on a carriage 36) as will be explained, and the carriage 30 is provided with conventional caster wheels 3-1 which enable the winder to be readily moved and manipulated. The end of the tubular housing 25 opposite the key 27 is attached to a base housing 33, Fig. 4, the relation being such that an end of the aforementioned drive shaft is extended into the base housing 33 as shown in Fig. 2 and is coupled to the main driving member of a motor M, Fig. 4, supported on the outside of the base housing 33.

The details of the present invention are best shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings. As was mentioned, the tubular housing 25 is supported by the carriage 30, and to this end the carriage 30 is provided with an upright standard 40 which as will be observed in Fig. l is con- I structed from bar stock, angles and plates that are weld Patented Deg. 1, 1959 ed" to portions of the main rectangular frame structure 41 of the carriage. A U-shaped bracket 43 is pivotally mounted. on a pin 44 mounted at the upper end of an upright tube 46 which represents the main support 'menv b'er of the standard 40. Thus, the bracket 43- includes free swinging movement thereon and relative to the carriage 30. The pivotal connection between the tubular housing 25 and the carriage 30 enables the tubular housing 25 and the key 27 at the upper end-'th'ereof'to be swung along an are as will be apparent from Fig. 2 so that the key 27 can be inserted in the aperture of the selected spindle S that is to be turned. It-may be pointed out inthis connection that an L-shaped rod 47, Figs. 1 and 2, has an endthereof welded toa supporting flange 48 which is in turn welded to the'bight or web portion of the bracket 43 which connects the respective-legs 45 of the bracket 43. The arm 47' may serve the dual purpose of a handle for positioning and holding the tubular housing 25 in the selected position and also as a support for the electrical cord C, Fig. l, of themotor M. It should also be pointed out that in the present instance a switch box 48, Fig. 1', is mounted onthe tubular housing 25 and includes an oil-on switch 49 for the motor M.

Thetubular housing 25 is of an extensible nature and includes a pair of telescoped sectioned tubular housings in which is mounted the extensible drive shaft for the key- 27 as will now be explained.

Thus, the tubular housing 25 includes a first or upper hollow housing section 51 and a second or lower hollow housing section 52, the relation being such that the upper section is of such size as to enable an end portion of the lower section to be telescopically fitted therein as will be'apparent from Fig. 1. Both tubular housings 51 and 52 are elongated in nature and complementally square in cross section so as to be capable of being extended or contracted. To this end, a thumb screw 55 is threadedly mounted in a nut 57 which as will be explained separately below is secured to the tubular housing 51 near what constitutes the lower end portion thereof as viewed in Fig. 2. The end of the thumb screw opposite the head thereof bears against a flap provided on the tube 51, as will be explained, so as to press the flap against the opposed face of the inner or lower housing 52 whereby the housings 51 and 52 can be locked in an extended or contracted state one relative to the other.

The lower end of the tubular housing 52 as viewed in Fig. 2, that is, the end opposite the end portion which is telescoped into the associated tubular housing 51, is telescoped over a rigid mounting sleeve or boss 55 and is secured by screws thereto so that the end 52E of the tubular housing 52 abuts a shoulder 555 of the sleeve 55. The sleeve 55 is formed with a relatively large flat base flange 55F, and this base flange is mounted as by cap screws 57 to the base wall 58 of the relatively large bowl-shaped base housing 33 mentioned above.

As will be observed in Fig. 2, the base housing 33 is in the form of a casting having an annular flange 60 extended about the wall portion 58 to which the sleeve 55 is secured, and a removable closure plate 61 is secured as by machine screws 62 to the annular edge of the wall 60 of the base housing 33.

The drive shaft 26 is broadly characterized in the present instance as including first and second sections which are extensibly related one to the other, and such extensible relation as in the instance of, the housings 51 and 52 is preferably attained by telescoping the sections of-the drive shaft. Moreover, while the' two sections ofthe drive shaft are made up of a plurality of different interconnected elements merely as one mode of con= struction; the twosections of the" drive shaft can he viewed as a first or upper section 65, Fig. 2, which carries a worm gear 66 for transmitting motion to the key 27, and a second or lower section 68 which is driven from the main drive means within the base housing 33. The details of construction of the drive shaft including the telescoped connection between the two sections thereof will be described by what is to follow.

The lower section 68 of the drive shaft, that is, the section of the drive shaft most remote from the key 27 includes a rounded stub portion 69 disposed within the bore of the mounting sleeve 55. This portion 69 of the drive shaft is supported for rotation in part by a roller bearing 71 at the upper end of the sleeve 55 as viewed in Fig. 2, and also in part by another roller bearing 75 retained in place between the wall 58 of the base housing 33 and the flange portion 55F of the mounting sleeve 55. The portion 69 of the lower section of the drive shaft extends downwardly past the bearing 75, through an aperture in the wall 58 ofthe base housing 33 and into the interior of the base ho'us ing 33. The free end of the portion 69 of the drive shaft disposedwithinthe housing 33 is threaded, and a lock nut 78 is mounted thereon. The lock nut 78 serves to hold a relatively large pulley 80 against axial displacement on the end of the portion 69 of the drive shaft disposed within the base housing 33, and a spacer bushing 81'is retained by a set screw on the portion 69 of the drive shaft between the hub of the pulley 80 and the ball bearing 75. The portion 69 of the drive shaft is provided with an enlarged collar 82 on the side of the ball bearing 75 opposite the spacer bushing 81, and this collar is associated with a thrust surface 83 of the mounting sleeve 55.

The motor M indicated schematically in Fig; 2 is se cured to the wall 58 of the base housing 33 by cap screws 90. The main drive element or shaft 91 of the motor M extends through an aperture in the wall 58 of the base housing 33, and a relatively small drive pulley 92 is mounted thereon within the cavity of the housing 33. A drive belt 95 is tensioned on and between the pulleys 80 and 92, and the pulley 80 is keyed to the portion 69 of the drive shaft so that when the motor M is energized the drive shaft of the winder is driven.

As shown in Fig. 2, the end of the portion 69 of the drive shaft opposite the end driven by the pulley 80 extends beyond the upper ball bearing 71 and is reduced in cross section so as to fit complementally into one end of a hollow squared portion of the lower section 68 of the drive shaft, and the drive shaft portions 69 and 100 are coupled together by a machine screw 101. The portions 69 and 100 of the drive shaft are of course coaxial with the lower elongated tubular housing 52", and the end of the portion 100 of the lower section of the drive shaft terminates approximately at the adjustment screw'55 mentioned above.

The end of the drive shaft portion opposite the end coupled to the portion 100 terminates within the upper part of the drive shaft housing 51 as viewed in Fig. 2, and is welded to a coupler sleeve also disposed within the housing 51. A further extension 121 of the drive shaft has one end fitted into the coupler 120 and is coupled thereto by dowel pins 122, and the worm gear 66 is secured to the drive shaft extension 121 to be driven therewith.

Drive gear to be described in more detail hereinafter is afforded for driving the key 27 from the drive shaft 26, and this drive gear is mounted within a drive gear housing 125 secured to the free or upper end of the elongated housing 51 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Thus, the housing 125 comprises a pair of half-castings 126 and 127, Fig. 3, which are so configured as to afford a' relatively large internal cavity 125C, Figs. 2 and 3, when arranged in complemental relation. Thus, the halfcastings 126 and 127 include solid side walls as'128, Figs. 1 and 2, and arranged in'normal relation" to'thc side wallsare opposed arcuate webs or'flan'ges 130 and 131 which mate about a continuous periphery as shown in Fig. 3 to enclose the" internal cavity 125C. The webs -130;and 131 are formed'with apertures, and bolts as 135 are -extended therethrough,:and nut 136 are threaded on the ends thereofto tightly join. the half-castings 126 and 127 in the manner shown in Figs. 2 and 3..

The half-castings 126 and 127 substantially in the medial portions of the side walls 128 are formed with relatively large. bearingopenings 140 and 141 that are aligned with one another 'whenthe housings are secured together in the foregoing manner, and these openings are respectively lined vwith oil impregnated bearing sleeves 143 and 144. Each such bearing sleeve isformed with an annular flange 147 which engages an internal'surface of the related half-casting 126 or 127 in the manner shown in Fig. 3. The apertures 140 and 141 are enlarged at the exterior ends thereof, and oil seals 147 and 148 are packed therein to seal a relatively heavy hub 150 supported for rotation in the bearings 143 and 144.

A worm wheel 152, Figs. 2 and 3, is-disposed in the cavity afforded by the housing 125, and a Woodruif key 155 is.used to. couple .the worm wheel to the hub 150. The hub 150 is formed with a square opening 156, and the key 27. is adapted to be slidably mounted therein from either side of the hub 150 as'shown in Fig. 3 so as to be driven by the hub 150. 1

Referring to Fig. 2, the webs, of the half-castings 126 and 127 are enlarged at 163 and 164 to afford heavy bearing walls, and these bearing walls are formed with aligned bearing openings 165 and 166 which extend normal to the aforementioned bearing openings 140 and 141. End bearings 168 and 169 are mounted in the openings 165 and 166, and the inner ends of these bearings are provided with flanges as 170 which engage internal surfaces of the half-castings 126 and 127. The opposite or outer ends of the openings 165 and 166 are enlarged. An oil seal 172 is provided at the enlarged end of the upper bearing opening 165 as viewed in Fig. 2, and a like oil seal 173 is provided for the outer end of the lower bearing opening 166.

The portion 121 of the drive shaft which carries the worm gear 66 is mounted for rotation in the bearings 168 and 169 and is provided with spacer collars as 175 at the opposite ends of the worm gear 66. Arranged between these collars and the flanges 170 of the bearings 168 and 169 are thrust bearings 176 and 177. By this arrangement, the upper section65 of the drive shaft 26 is supported for rotation in the housing 125 and is secured therein against axial displacement.

It was mentioned that the thumb screw 55 enables the housings 51 and 52 to be adjusted. Referring to Fig. 2A, the housing 51 is shown as provided with spaced slits SL in what can be termed the front face or side thereof, and these slits extend to and open at the lower end of the housing 51 so as to provide a flap FL. The housings 51 and 52 as shown in Fig. 2A can be considered as fully extended, that is, the upper housing is extended to nearly its full height. The nut 57 in which the thumb screw 55 is mounted is welded to a short plate 57A, and the plate 57A' at its outer vertical edges as viewed in Fig. 2A is secured as by weldments W to what are the left and right hand sides of the housing 51. In other words, the flap FL is adapted to be moved relative to the unslitted portions of the housing 51, and this is brought about by turning the screw 55 inward until the end E thereof, Fig. 2A, engages the face of the flap FL whereupon further inward movement of the screw 55 presses the flap FL inward to bring about tight engagement of the flap FL and the opposed face or wall of the inner housing 52. This is a resilient action of course and the flap FL is in the nature of a leaf spring, so that by loosening the screw 55 the flap FL will release or; spring backto enable the housings 51 and 5 2..to

shifted' longitudinally relative .toone another.

Referring to Figs. .1 and 4, the carriage .30 enableat thewinder to be readily located in proximity to a rack as R having a spindle that is to be turned, and the carriage.

30 in this regard may be towed to and from the place of use by grasping the extensible drive shaft housing 25.. After being moved into approximate position adjacent. therack asR, the winder is then more accurately posiu tioned so that the key 27 is aligned with the particular aperture as A, Fig. 4, of the spindle S on the rack that is to beturned, and such accurate positioning is of course accomplished by pivotal movement of the housing 25 on, the standard 40 as well as axial adjustment afforded. by the thumb screw 55. Alignment between the square, key 27 or like. key having at least one flat face thereon is accomplished by turning manually the particular spin-.

dle 8 until the fiat face thereof such as afforded by the aperture A therein is aligned with the complemental flat" the drive gear housing is on the other side thereof. This enables the motor M to counter-balance the housings 25 and 125 and their associated parts.

Hence, while I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that this is capable of variation and modification, and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth, but desire to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A winder for rug or like wind up spindles comprising: a rotatable drive element having a predetermined axis of rotation and adapted to rotate a winding key for turning such a spindle: gears including a driven gear and a drive gear operatively connected to one another and with the driven gear operatively connected to said drive element to rotate the same; said gears being disposed within a drive gear housing; a pair of first and second assembled co-axial elongated tubular housings, the first one of the tubular housings being connected to said drive gear housing with the drive gear housing located to one side of said tubular housing assembly; said tubular housings being telescoped one relative to another so as to be extensible, and means releasably locking the housings one to another to maintain a selected state of extensibility whereby upon release of the locking means the drive gear housing can be extended or retracted; a pair of coaxial telescopically related and extensible drive shafts rotatably supported within said tubular housings, one of said drive shafts being drivingly connected to said driving gear to rotate the same, and said drive shafts having their axes disposed substantially at right angles to the axis of said rotatable drive element; a hollow base housing, and means securing the second of the tubular housings in an off-centered relation to said hollow base housing at one side thereof; a drive motor mounted on the other side of said hollow base housing so as to be located on the side of the tubular housing assembly opposite said drive gear housing; and drive connections extended from said motor to the end portion of the one of said drive shafts that is located in said second tubular housing, said drive connections being disposed within said hollow base housing; a wheeled carriage for said tubular housings; and means mounted on said carriage It will be observed: that the drive motor M and the extensible housing25 are off-center on the base housing 33, and the motor is located on one side of the extensible housing,25 while,

and pivotally supporting said second tubular Itousing whereby said'tilbuiarholiifig assembly canbegpivoted bodily to" move: said drive ear housing to 'aselected osition alonganars determined by the-extent to which said-"tabular housinghave-been' extended: I

21" A" winder aceoi'dihgly to claim -1 wherein the rotat abled ive elementis exposedat and available tethe windlhgskey-ffom both sides of said drive ear'housingto enable the wi'ndi'ng' key tobe" associated with the ro'tatabie drive element at'eitherside ofithe drive gear housing:

35 In a winder mechanism of" the kind' described; a drive gear housing-defined bydpair oficompl'emehtal' housing ans; said'housing parts each having sidewalls andhaving fianges connected to the peripheralrtions ofsaid housing parts, said flhnges'bein'g tightl ab'uttedtodefine'a cavitywith' said side w'a1ls,-a hub su ported folfrotation in'hearingsmounted in said side walls, said" him having anopening at each end thereof'whicki is exposed attlierelated 'side' Well i for receiving owindr key, a worm wheel connectedtosaid hub and disposed within saidcavity, a worm gear disposed Withiheaid' cavity and meshedwitli'said'wo'rm wheel, a" shaft supp'orting'said worm gear for rotation and said 'shaft being rotatab lyslipportedfin' bearingsmounted in the drivegear housing; abase housing having a' drive motor mounted therein, an extensible housi'nghavin -two tubulartelesc'opedpart's; one of said tubularpa'rts being connected at-one endto said drive gear housing andthe other of said tubular parts being connected 'at one-end to s'aid base housing, releasable means-looking the :tubulz'lr patt's: t'ogeth'et" whereby upon releaseithereofis-the; tubular parts: canbe extended-or retraetod; a twospartxtelescoped drive shiaft 1 within said :sextionsible I housing, one part of said drive shaft being: coupled: to the. vshaft. which sup.-

ports said worm gear and'the: other part 'oflsaidt two-part drive shaf-thavifig drive-connections. extended thereto from said motor,- and a wheeled carriage supporting'said mechanism.

4. Winde'rmeehanism'according to claim Kwheteifizthe:

motor is located OHFOIIE side of said extensibleihousingrv and the drive gear housing is 'locatedzon the otherrside of said extensible housing arid' wherein the'extensiblei housing is=-:'pivota11 y 'monnted i on said: wheeled carriage.

5. Windermechanism' according to claim 4 wherein s'aid 'othergpant'oftheuextehsible housing is connected to: the base housing in: an oflf bentered arela'tion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

